The present invention relates to a fitting structure and method of a lever connector in which a connector on the other side is pulled near by swinging a lever supported by a connector on one side of a pair of connectors fitted to each other so that the lever can be swung and both connectors can be completely fitted with small force, more particularly relates to technique for improving the fitting structure and method of a lever connector so that both connectors can be completely fitted even if the lever connector is installed between equipment assembled each other.
Heretofore, various types of connectors fitted to each other to connect electrical wiring are used and of these connectors, a so-called lever connector provided with a lever supported by a connector on one side of a pair of connectors so that the lever can be swung wherein the pair of connectors can be completely fitted with small force by swinging the lever is included.
If a connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 5-114436 is described referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 as an example of the structure of the above lever connector, a lever 2 is supported by a first connector 1 so that the lever can be swung. The lever 2 is attached around a supporting shaft 2a so that the lever can be swung therearound and is provided with a fitting groove 2b for fitting the lever to a fitting pin 3a protruded from a second connector 3.
Hereby, when the lever 2 is swung on the side of the second connector 3 with the fitting pin 3a fitted into the fitting groove 2b of the lever 2 after the second connector 3 is temporarily fitted to the first connector, the second connector 3 is pulled on the side of the first connector 1 and both connectors 1 and 3 can be completely fitted with small force.
In the meantime, the first connector 1 is housed and held inside a housing 5 fixed on a panel 4 and is so constituted that the first connector 1 is not required to be held by a hand when the first connector 1 and the second connector 3 are fitted.
The housing 5 is provided with a contact part 5a for coming in contact with the end of the lever 2 of the housed first connector 1 and plural guide member 5b for supporting the first connector 1 so that the first connector 1 is not tilted when the first connector 1 is pushed by the second connector 3 and displaced in the housing 5.
Hereby, when the second connector 3 is inserted into the housing 5 to fit the second connector to the first connector 1, the first connector 1 is pushed by the second connector 3 and displaced in the housing 5 leftward in FIG. 1. As a result, as the lever 2 which is in contact with the contact part 5a of the housing 5 is swung clockwise around the supporting shaft 2a and pulls the second connector 3, the second connector 3 can be completely fitted to the first connector 1.
A connector may be constituted so that the above second connector 3 is directly attached to equipment B shown by a two-dot long and two short dashes line in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the second connector 3 is fitted to the first connector 1 at the same time when the equipment B is attached to the housing 5.
However, since in the above connector according to prior technique, the end of the lever 2 is still in contact with the contact part 5a after the first connector 1 and the second connector 3 are completely fitted and the swing of the lever 2 is disabled, the first connector 1 and the second connector 3 cannot be further displaced in the housing 5 leftward in FIG. 1.
Hereby, if the first connector 1 and the second connector 3 are completely fitted before the equipment B comes in contact with the housing 5, there is a problem depending upon a state in which each component is assembled that the second connector 3 cannot be inserted into the housing 5 moreover. Hence, the equipment B cannot be attached to the housing 5.
On the contrary, if the attachment of the equipment B to the housing 5 is completed in a state in which the fitting of the first connector 1 and the second connector 3 is not completed, there is a problem that the first connector 1 and the second connector 3 cannot be pushed into the housing 5 moreover. Hence, the lever 2 is not sufficiently swung, so that the first connector 1 and the second connector 3 cannot be completely fitted.